Virtual Creature Festival: Pill Bug

During the month of October, we will explore the world of NJ’s creepy-crawly fauna and flora and things that go bump, squawk, grunt, (or even stay silent) in the night and day! Also, remember to check out Duke Farms Eventbrite for a wide array of virtual programs to learn more about NJ’s best bears, bats, bobcats, beautiful amphibians, reptiles, as well as other important oozy critters and the concern about climate change’s already negative impact on their future.

As we open the door to October…

"Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many and quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
“Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door-
Only this, and nothing more.”

Remember this poem? Maybe this is who is knocking at your door to welcome you to the Duke Farms Virtual Creature Fest!

Would you recognize a pill bug? Do you know this little critter by another name? Rolly pollies, potato bugs, and sowbugs are just some of the other aliases they go by. These gentle bugs fill an important role in the food web as prey for other animals and decomposers that help to keep the world from filling up with dead organic matter. Let's explore pillbugs, their environment, and their relations with other animals in the crustacean family.

Download the full PDF here.

Cover image credits: "Pill bug" by Ryan Joseph CC BY 4.0

This resource was created by Von Scully and Kate Reilly.